There is an organization in Canada who have studied bird dispersal techniques
extensively. This group is Transport Canada. Their concern is bird strikes at
airports, so to them, the ability to scare away birds is very important.
They have reviewed most bird scare techniques, including propane cannons, and
have documented their findings on their web site at the following link:
Transport Canada
They give propane cannons (AKA "Exploders") a limited recommendation at best,
but they do highly recommend some other bird scare techniques.
Their conclusions and recommendation about propane cannons follow:
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The sudden, loud bang from a gas cannon is capable, at least initially, of
scaring birds away from an area. However, birds soon habituate to these
sounds.
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A common complaint made by people that we spoke with regarding gas cannon
systems is the limited period of their effectiveness. Birds habituate to the
sound of the cannons within a relatively short period of time – a matter of
days.
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Within a relatively short period of time the cannons become completely
ineffective.
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Disadvantages:
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Birds can rapidly habituate to the sound of the blasts.
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Compared to the size of an airfield, (or a blueberry acreage), the effective
area is relatively small.
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Cannons must be supplemented with other deterrent devices.
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Recommendation: Cannons should not be relied upon as the sole or even the
major component of a bird control program.
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